Southern China braces for typhoon Noul, suspends public transport

BEIJING, July 25 (Reuters) – Strong winds and torrential rain lashed China on Saturday, brought by a strengthening typhoon Noul, weather authorities said, urging people to avoid unnecessary travel as transport links could be disrupted.

* Noul, the 12th typhoon of the year, is forecast to hit the coast between the Asian financial hub of Hong Kong and Lufeng in China’s southern province of Guangdong sometime between late Saturday and the next morning.

* The National Meteorological Centre warned that Guangdong, and the nearby provinces of Fujian, Jiangxi and Hunan, would be directly affected by Noul. It urged people to take precautions, avoid unnecessary travel and watch for disaster threats.

* More than 20,000 people were relocated in areas across Guangdong by Friday evening.

* Guangdong began suspending rail services on Saturday, with high-speed and regular trains expected to halt on Sunday.

* From Saturday, operations at airports across Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Xiamen may be affected.

* Airline Cathay Pacific said it has cancelled flights between 1:15 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Sunday from Hong Kong International Airport.

* The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao bridge has suspended operation on Saturday and Sunday.

(Reporting by Sophie Yu, Ryan Woo; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)